“Any fool can ask a question that a wise man cannot answer.”The simplest application of this is the simple, and often impossible to answer, question, “Why?” Any parent has experienced the perpetual series of “why’s” that children can generate. If you haven’t then I assume your children are not talking yet.
Think about it. How many people who would be thought to be wise can explain how an airplane stays in the air? How many have even heard of Bernoulli’s Principle? At school I am being asked if I know what a “cataract” is. I can give them several definitions but none of them are the current meaning to an 8th grader who walks in ignorance and wears it with a badge of pride.
When it comes to the big questions, I don’t feel that I need to have the final answer. Can you explain the Trinity? What is love? Why do people vote the way they do? What is the purpose of life? I have answers but I am always open to new information.
Kids will say, “I have a question.” They get tired of me answering, “I have an answer.” What they really don’t like is the answer, “I don’t know.” But it is the answer that wise men use more often than the ignorant.
homo unius libri
Some people think that I'm a know-it-all because I rarely back down when I know I'm right. What they don't understand is that if I didn't KNOW a particular thing, I'd simply admit it. Like you said, though, they're just as dissatisfied with "I don't know." I realize that I should be more diplomatic, but WILLFUL ignorance offends me, and most ignorance today IS willful.
ReplyDeleteWhen you know you are right, and you are, backing down becomes cowardice not humility. I know what you mean. People don't want to know because to admit they know means they might be required to do something. And their favorite reality show is coming on.
ReplyDeleteTo repeat the quote of the blog you just linked to, "all that is necessary for evil to triumph is that enough good men do nothing."
Grace and peace.